Related companies

UAE issues warning on possible return of ‘GreenBug’ cyber attack

The UAE Central Bank has warned of a possible new cyberattack on banks, financial institutions and money exchange houses.

In a circular sent to companies this week, it warned the return of the Greenbug cyber espionage group in the Middle East, advising companies to take necessary actions to ensure protection of their systems against such cyber threats.

In January, cybersecurity firm Symantec said that Greenbug targeted a range of organisations in the Middle East, including companies in the aviation, energy, government, investment, and education sectors.

The American firm said the group used a custom information-stealing remote access Trojan (RAT) known as “Trojan.Ismdoor” as well as a selection of hacking tools to steal sensitive credentials from compromised organisations.

In June, during a worldwide ransomware cyberattack on companies, the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said no computers in the country had been impacted by the attack.

In an advisory note, it advised computer users to avoid opening links and files from an unknown source, use anti-virus programmes, regularly update software and avoid surfing untrusted websites.

In May, Dubai unveiled its cyber security strategy which aims to strengthen the city’s position as a world leader in innovation, safety and security.